Cup-and-ball joint.



No. 835.076. PATENTBD Nov. 6, 1906. K J. c. MARTIN, Jn.

CUP AND BALL JOINT.

. nrmbulox num oom.'ze.`1 eo4.

. JEssE e. MARTIN. in., or FRANCISCO, cALiFoRNiA.

cuP-ANo-BALL JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Iiov. 6, 1906.

Applicationled October 2B, 19x04. Serial No. 230.137.

To all whom it may concern.: Y v Be itknown that I; JESSE C. MARTIN,Jr., a'citizen of the UnitedStates, residing Yin the cityandcounty of'San Francisco `and State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Imlprovements in Cup-an d-B all Joints g andI do ter named betteradapted than those hereto-v i5.

\ vare called upon to encounter.

ereby.deolarethefollowing to be al full, clear, and exactdescription ofthe same. This invention relates to a eup-and-ball joint-,being animprovement in the class of ball-and-socket joints.` f It hasfor itsobject a device oi the charac-- forato meet the increasinglytryingconditions` of practice which suc constructions With low.pressures. the ordinary simple ball-and-socket joint perorrnsitsfunctions y in. a fairly satisfactory manner; but with the bring about aprejudice among e gradualy adoption. of increasinglyfhigh pressures thefailure .of the common ball-andsockct joint has become so pronounced asto ineers against this otherwise valuable' mec anieal expedient. Manyattempts have heretofore been made to provide ball-and-socket joints soconstructed as to meet the difficulties suggested, but so far as I. amaware with but imperfect results. One source of difficulty is thatinherent in the nature vof this typer OfcOnnection-namely, the necessityfor keeping one spherical surface in free though fluid-tight workingcontact with another under the adverse condition normally incident tothe circumstances in which suchjoints are employed. ,With high pressures,the difiiculty involved 'in this matter has heretofore appeared to bealmost insurmountable, for the reason thatl owing to the nature of thecase the spherical surfaces are greater in extentthan the surface of thethreads by which the balljoint is usually coupled to the line of pipewhich it serves to unite.4 The consequence of this is that motion willoccur in the thread connection in preference t'o movement of the joint.irricertain positions of its operationv This-,Vsoon causes leaks andother more serious troubles. Another source of failure of thesecontrivanees is the extremely arduous duty the wearing-surfaces arecalled upon to perform on;y l account of tir-mutually `antagonisticnature of thereqiiirenients involved. Under high pressures the'ball iscrowded to its socketseat `with great torce, which thereby surfaces andrequires a corresponding errercise of force to cause it to perform'itsswivel ing action,1with consequent ra id deteriora tion. This is 'asource of liabi ity to failure and a `fruitful cause of breakage.

ro- -duces excessivelriction between the sli ingr f To nieetthese stateddifficulties, therefore,

may besaid to be. another of the objects of the present invention. y

In some forms of ball-aiid-socket joints,

especially those of klarge size, attempts have been rmadev to removestrains (other than those incident to the formation'of a joint) from theball-ancbsoeket members by the addition of exterior link members. This,however, is hi lily objectionable, especially in ball-and-socet jointsfor small pipes, as these exterior members are liable to acci `dentalinjury and obstruct access to thede? vice. I avoid these undesirableladditions and accomplish the stated'objects by means of the devicesillustrated in the accompanyind'rawings, in which-- 4igure 1 is asectional view. Fig. 2 is a transverse section. Fig. 3 is a sectionaldetail showing the gimbal yoke or ring anu journaled. collar in workingrelation to each other, butrenioved from the ball member.

Referring tothe drawings, 1 is a cup or socket `member provided. with aj enit-surface 2 and a packing-recess 3. l 'Y 4 is a gland ada ted toenter the recess 3, and it is 'provide with suitable means for causingit to follow up the packingin the recess 3, shown in the presentinstance as threaded studs 5,' with their nuts.

Socket 1 is lalso provided with' suitable means for attaching it in apipe-line or other situation, shown in the prcsentinstance as aninternally-threaded boss 6. 1 l

7 is a', ball member. Pivotallyy secured within the member 7 is a gimbalyoke or rin 8, shown in the present instance als-provide with trunnions9, seatedv in bearings 10 on the-inner surface of the ball member?. To

Icomplete the imbal', the yoke 8 is ivotally associated wit anothermember, s own in the present instance as a collar 11, provided withtrunnions 12, seatedgin the yoke 8, their IOC) esame f provided with aconduit extending through the central part thereof, and joint-packingmeans between the two members.

14. A flexible connection for pipes or the like com rising a cup orsocket member, a ball memlber having operative contact there-v with andprojecting be ond its full diameter, a universally movab e connectingdevice provided with a conduit extending through f the central partthereof, and a stuiing box or gland between the two members.

15. A connection for pipes or the like conia cup or socket member a ballmem 83mg i having operative contact t erewith and projecting therefrombe ond its full diameter and a rotatable gim al adapted to hold theparts in o rative association, said gimbal rotating with one of saidmembers.

16. A connection for pipes or the like comrising a cup or socket member,a ball rnemf r having -operative contact therewith and projectingtherefrom beyond its full'diame-- ter, a rotatable gimbal adapted tohold the parts in operative association and jointvided with suitablejoint-packing an packing means between the two members, 2 5 ad girnbalrotating with one of said memers. i

1.7 A connection for pipes or the like com- I gising a cup or socketmember a `ball memball and soc et.

JESSE C. MARTIN, Jn. Witnesses:

vJassm: R. OFF, D. B. Rlolunns.

r having operative contact therewith and 3e

